During installation, servicing, and/or replacement of filters, for instance liquid fluid filters, there can be a risk of over tightening the filter assemblies. Such over tightening can cause damage to filter assembly components.
For example, service technicians have used tools such as a strap wrench or socket drive, depending on the type of filter, to install or service a filter on an engine. Such installation or servicing often includes connecting a filter to a filter head by a threaded engagement. However, such tools do not indicate when to stop tightening the filter. Thus, over tightening can occur which has caused some filters to crack, such as for example cracking of the filter housing or shell. The over tightening of a filter housing or shell can lead to pre-mature failure of the components and seals. Typically, filter seals will expand when subjected to heat and fluids for extended periods, therefore increasing the load on the filter as well as increasing the necessary torque for removal.
To reduce the risk of over tightening, torque measuring has provided predetermined torque specifications, which require one to torque the filter to the engine specification. However, one may still over tighten and/or over torque filter components, for example, by manually overriding such specified torque measurements.
Improvements may be made upon existing filter designs so as to prevent over tightening and filter component damage.